Survival trees with time-dependent covariates: Application to estimating changes in the incubation period of AIDS

Tree-structured methods for exploratory data analysis have previously been extended to right-censored survival data. We further extend these methods to allow for truncation and time-dependent covariates. We apply the new methods to a data set on incubation times of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), using calendar time as a time-dependent covariate. Contrary to expectation, we find that rates of progression to AIDS appear to be faster after August 1989 than before.     

The L2 Rate of Convergence for Event History Regression with Time-dependent Covariates

Consider repeated events of multiple kinds that occur according to a right-continuous semi-Markov process whose transition rates are influenced by one or more time-dependent covariates. The logarithms of the intensities of the transitions from one state to another are modelled as members of a linear function space, which may be finite- or infinite-dimensional. Maximum likelihood estimates are used, where the maximizations are taken over suitably chosen finite-dimensional approximating spaces. It is shown that the L ₂ rates of convergence of the maximum likelihood estimates are determined by the approximation power and dimension of the approximating spaces. The theory is applied to a functional ANOVA model, where the logarithms of the intensities are approximated by functions having the form of a specified sum of a constant term, main effects (functions of one variable), and interaction terms (functions of two or more variables). It is shown that the curse of dimensionality can be ameliorated if only main effects and low-order interactions are considered in functional ANOVA models.     

Local Linear Estimation for Time-Dependent Coefficients in Cox's Regression Models

This article develops a local partial likelihood technique to estimate the time-dependent coefficients in Cox's regression model. The basic idea is a simple extension of the local linear fitting technique used in the scatterplot smoothing. The coefficients are estimated locally based on the partial likelihood in a window around each time point. Multiple time-dependent covariates are incorporated in the local partial likelihood procedure. The procedure is useful as a diagnostic tool and can be used in uncovering time-dependencies or departure from the proportional hazards model. The programming involved in the local partial likelihood estimation is relatively simple and it can be modified with few efforts from the existing programs for the proportional hazards model. The asymptotic properties of the resulting estimator are established and compared with those from the local constant fitting. A consistent estimator of the asymptotic variance is also proposed. The approach is illustrated by a real data set from the study of gastric cancer patients and a simulation study is also presented.     

Reflected BSDE of Wiener-Poisson type in time-dependent domains

In this paper we study multidimensional reflected backward stochastic differential equations driven by Wiener-Poisson type processes. We prove existence and uniqueness of solutions, with reflection in the inward spatial normal direction, in the setting of certain time-dependent domains.     

Gompertz model with time-dependent covariate in the presence of interval-, right- and left-censored data

In this paper, the Gompertz model is extended to incorporate time-dependent covariates in the presence of interval-, right-, left-censored and uncensored data. Then, its performance at different sample sizes, study periods and attendance probabilities are studied. Following that, the model is compared to a fixed covariate model. Finally, two confidence interval estimation methods, Wald and likelihood ratio (LR), are explored and conclusions are drawn based on the results of the coverage probability study. The results indicate that bias, standard error and root mean square error values of the parameter estimates decrease with the increase in study period, attendance probability and sample size. Also, LR was found to work slightly better than the Wald for parameters of the model.     

非线性时变系统行为与软件开发组织的演化

分析了软件开发组织演化过程,建立了软件开发组织演化的系统动力学模型,运用非线性系统演化理论研究了影响软件开发组织演化的因素,以及这些因素对软件开发组织演化行为的影响规律,分析了软件开发组织的初始状态、软件行业内项目需求总规模,以及软件组织所依赖的外部组织资源支持等因素对软件开发组织演化过程和演化结果的影响,指出软件开发组织发展初期应当依赖于项目和外界资源支持,发展中期和高峰期应当防止人才和资本资源流失。     

Comparison of treatment regimes with adjustment for auxiliary variables

Treatment regimes are algorithms for assigning treatments to patients with complex diseases, where treatment consists of more than one episode of therapy, potentially with different dosages of the same agent or different agents. Sequentially randomized clinical trials are usually designed to evaluate and compare the effect of different treatment regimes. In such designs, eligible patients are first randomly assigned to receive one of the initial treatments. Patients meeting some criteria (e.g. no progressive disease) are then randomized to receive one of the maintenance treatments. Usually, the procedure continues until all treatment options are exhausted. Such multistage treatment assignment results in treatment regimes consisting of initial treatments, intermediate responses and second-stage treatments. However, methods for efficient analysis of sequentially randomized trials have only been developed very recently. As a result, earlier clinical trials reported results based only on the comparison of stage-specific treatments. In this article, we propose a model that applies to comparisons of any combination of any number of treatment regimes regardless of the number of stages of treatment adjusted for auxiliary variables. Contrasts of treatment regimes are tested using the Wald chi-square method. Both the model and Wald chi-square tests of contrasts are illustrated through a simulation study and an application to a high-risk neuroblastoma study to complement the earlier results reported on this study.     

A semiparametric type II Tobit model for time-to-event data with application to a merger and acquisition study

Merger and acquisition is an important corporate strategy. We collect recent merger and acquisition data for companies on the China A-share stock market to explore the relationship between corporate ownership structure and speed of merger success. When studying merger success, selection bias occurs if only completed mergers are analyzed. There is also a censoring problem when duration time is used to measure the speed. In this article, for time-to-event outcomes, we propose a semiparametric version of the type II Tobit model that can simultaneously handle selection bias and right censoring. The proposed model can also easily incorporate time-dependent covariates. A nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator is proposed. The resulting estimators are shown to be consistent, asymptotically normal, and semiparametrically efficient. Some Monte Carlo studies are carried out to assess the finite-sample performance of the proposed approach. Using the proposed model, we find that higher power balance of a company is associated with faster merger success.     

Inferences in dynamic logit models in semi-parametric setup for repeated binary data

Binary dynamic fixed and mixed logit models are extensively studied in the literature. These models are developed to examine the effects of certain fixed covariates through a parametric regression function as a part of the models. However, there are situations where one may like to consider more covariates in the model but their direct effect is not of interest. In this paper we propose a generalization of the existing binary dynamic logit (BDL) models to the semi-parametric longitudinal setup to address this issue of additional covariates. The regression function involved in such a semi-parametric BDL model contains (i) a parametric linear regression function in some primary covariates, and (ii) a non-parametric function in certain secondary covariates. We use a simple semi-parametric conditional quasi-likelihood approach for consistent estimation of the non-parametric function, and a semi-parametric likelihood approach for the joint estimation of the main regression and dynamic dependence parameters of the model. The finite sample performance of the estimation approaches is examined through a simulation study. The asymptotic properties of the estimators are also discussed. The proposed model and the estimation approaches are illustrated by reanalysing a longitudinal infectious disease data.     

The analysis of prospective studies of disease aetiology

This paper reviews the analysis of prospective epidemiological studies using general linear models to describe disease Incidence, It is shown that, apart from problems arising from the large size of most studies of this type, these models may be fitted by maximum likelihood (using GLIM, for example) assuming a Poisson likelihood.Alternative methods for dealing with large-scale data are discussed, and some simple procedures for dealing with common problems are outlined.The relationship of the approach to multiple logistic analyses is indicated.